County seizes Amarilloan's cash for second time in a month

JOE RICHARDSON

Thursday

Jan 31, 2013 at 10:02 PM

Potter County authorities filed a motion to keep more than $3,000 police seized from an Amarillo man on New Year's Day when he was arrested on a parole violation and drug charges in downtown Amarillo, court records said.

Joel Corral Marquez Jr., 26, was arrested on a parole violation for a 2009 possession of a controlled substance conviction, failure to identify as a fugitive from justice, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of marijuana under 2 ounces and public intoxication.

Authorities allege the money is contraband, was obtained through illegal activity and should be forfeited to the county, court records show.

Last month, police seized more than $5,000 and Xanax pills from Marquez after a domestic disturbance investigation, court documents said.

A police report said an officer noticed a parked vehicle partially blocking the driveway of The Courtyard by Marriott at the Historic Fisk, 724 S. Polk Ave. about 12:30 a.m. Jan. 1.

The officer saw a man, later identified as Marquez, climb out of the car holding what he said was an open bottle of Bud Light.

The police report said Marquez tucked the beer bottle under his jacket and crossed Polk toward the hotel's parking garage, and the officer followed him.

An officer assisting with the arrest of a disorderly individual stopped Marquez in the parking garage.

Marquez reached into his jacket, and one of the police officers grabbed his wrist.

The beer bottle fell to the ground and shattered. The officers arrested Marquez on a charge of public intoxication.

Officers found a large amount of cash in one of Marquez's pockets. One of the officers asked Marquez what he did for a living.

Marquez also claimed the money belonged to an unidentified individual nearby and claimed that the money was from a person who bought a vehicle from him, the report said.

Officers found a wallet with $102 in it, a baggy of marijuana and a Xanax pill, the police report said.

The officers took Marquez to the Potter County jail.

He passed out, and officers had to drag him into the jail, the document said.

Jail staff told officers Marquez had to be cleared medically before he could be booked into jail.

An officer took Marquez to Northwest Texas Hospital to be cleared for processing.

While at the hospital, police officers also discovered that Marquez had an outstanding parole violation warrant for possession of a controlled substance.

Officers booked him into the Potter County jail on charges of parole violation, failure to identify as a fugitive from justice, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of marijuana under 2 ounces and public intoxication.

He is currently being held in lieu of $18,500 in bonds.

Court documents said officers seized more than $5,000 and 42 Xanax pills from Marquez about 9 p.m. on Dec. 8 after investigating a domestic disturbance call.

"Mr. Marquez explained his 'baby mama' had found text messages on his phone to another female and was upset," the police report said.

Marquez told officers his girlfriend started hitting him, and he threw her to the ground to get her off him.

Marquez told police that his girlfriend, who was eight months pregnant, began throwing knives at him from the kitchen.

Marquez's girlfriend told officers she became upset after finding text messages to another woman on her boyfriend's cellphone.

The woman told police she grabbed a pair of scissors to ward off an attack from Marquez.

She grabbed a knife, then pulled a .22-caliber pistol and attempted to fire the pistol at Marquez, but the weapon malfunctioned, court records show.

The officer recovered the pistol and found a pistol cartridge on the floor of the couple's apartment, the report said.

Police, who then questioned Marquez, found $5,095 in cash and Xanax pills in his front pants pocket, court records show.

Marquez was arrested following that incident and charged with assault causing bodily injury.

A Potter County prosecutor said in a court motion that the $5,095 constituted proceeds gained from the commission of a felony and should be forfeited to the Amarillo Police Department narcotics unit.

Marquez was previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance in 2009 after an Amarillo police officer discovered $2,580 in cash and an ounce of crack cocaine in his car after a 2009 traffic stop.

In April, Marquez was arrested on a marijuana possession charge after an Amarillo police officer stopped Marquez on a traffic violation, court records show.

According to a police report, the officer found more than $1,700 in cash and several marijuana cigars in the 2004 Cadillac Escalade that Marquez was driving.